This Day in History: The Great Seal of the United States

On this day in 1776, John Adams writes his wife Abigail about an unusual assignment: He, Benjamin Franklin, and Thomas Jefferson had been asked to design a seal for the new United States.

They’d been given the assignment just a few weeks earlier, on July 4.

You may think of July 4 as the day that the Continental Congress approved the Declaration of Independence. That’s true, but Congress accomplished other things that day as well. For instance, Congress passed a resolution that Franklin, Adams, and Jefferson “be a committee, to bring in a device for a seal for the United States of America.”

All three men had helped to write the Declaration. Now they would struggle together to create a graphic depiction of the values important to the new nation, as represented in its seal.

Adams soon decided to meet with an artist “whose Designs are very ingenious,” he reported to Abigail. The artist proposed a complicated design incorporating Liberty and an American rifleman, among other things. In the meantime, Franklin wanted to depict Moses at the Red Sea, with Pharaoh “overwhelmed with the Waters,” but Jefferson thought “Israel in the Wilderness, led by a Cloud by day, and a Pillar of Fire by night” might be better.

The men settled on a design that combined the artist’s ideas with the Red Sea concept, presenting it to Congress in late August.

It didn’t go well, and the proposal was not approved. Nevertheless, at least two aspects of the Franklin/Adams/Jefferson seal would survive. The Eye of Providence and the Latin motto “E Pluribus Unum” were both retained.

A second committee was appointed in March 1780. These men, too, ultimately failed, but they contributed a few more ideas that would eventually find their way into the final seal: 13 red and white stripes on a shield, a constellation of 13 stars, and an olive branch.

After another delay, a third committee was appointed in May 1782. This committee contributed more ideas but again failed to receive congressional approval. It is from this committee that we got the idea for an eagle (but not the bald eagle) and an unfinished pyramid on the reverse side.

Were people starting to get frustrated? By this point, the Battle of Yorktown was over and Americans were negotiating a peace treaty with Britain. The need for a seal was getting greater. Perhaps Congress felt more urgency, because things began to move faster.

On June 13, 1782, Congress asked Charles Thomson, Secretary of Congress, to wrap up the project. Thomson selected features from each of the three previous proposals and combined them into one design. (See attached picture.)

Thomson replaced the eagle with a bald eagle—it was more genuinely American. He kept “E Pluribus Unum” on the front, but he added “Annuit Coeptis” on the back. The latter phrase roughly translates to “he favors our undertakings.” In this instance, “he” is God. Thomson later explained that the Latin was a reference to God’s approval of the American effort. He explained to Congress: “The Eye over [the pyramid] & the Motto allude to the many signal interpositions of providence in favour of the American cause.”

An interesting bit of trivia: Both “E Pluribus Unum” and “Annuit Coeptis” contain 13 letters, matching the other instances of the number 13 on our seal (13 arrows; 13 leaves on the olive branch). Did Thomson plan that? We will never know.

William Barton of Philadelphia helped to refine Thomson’s sketches. For instance, he changed the wing spread of the eagle so the tips would face up. The final proposal was presented to Congress and finally approved on June 20.

The road to create a seal had proven to be nearly as long as the American Revolution itself.

A note for those who are interested: Some of you might know I am running an experiment in history reels. If you are so inclined, check out my YouTube channel and/or subscribe to those HERE. Don’t miss the reel about the WASPs that I posted over the weekend! 

Constitution4Kids.com

Primary Sources:

• John D. MacArthur, GreatSeal.com

• Letter from John Adams to Abigail Adams (August 14, 1776)

• Original Design of the Great Seal of the United States (1782) (National Archives)

• The Great Seal, March 19, 2018 (National Museum of American Diplomacy)

• The Great Seal of the United States (The American Revolution Institute)

• The Seal of the United States: How it was Developed and Adopted (United States Department of State; 1892)